阅读理解

　　The next time you try for a high-ranking post, you could let your possible boss listen to a recommending (推荐) phone call “made” by US President George W. Bush or British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

　　Of course, neither of them could really do that for youyou would just “borrow” their voices.

　　AT&T labs will start selling speech software that it says is so good at reproducing the sounds of a human voice that it can recreate voices and even bring the voices of long-dead famous people back to life.

　　The software, which turns printed text into speech, makes it possible for a company to use recordings of a person's voice to say things that the person never actually said.

　　Possible customers for the software, which is priced in the thousands of dollars, include telephone call centers, companies that make software that reads digital (数学的) files aloud, and makers of automated voice devices (装置). The advances raise several problems. Who, for example, owns the rights to a famous person's voice? (Some experts even believe that mew contracts (合同) will be drawn that include voice-licensing clauses.)

　　And although scientists say the technology is not yet good enough to commit fraud (假冒), would the synthesized (合成的) voices at last be able to trick people into thinking that they were getting phone calls or digital audio recordings from people they know?

　　Even Mr. Fruchterman, one of AT&T lab's possible first customers, said he wondered what the new technology might bring. “Just like you can't trust a photograph any more.” he said, “you won't be able to trust a voice either.”

1．With the help of the speech software, it is most possible ________.

[　　]

A．to improve a famous person's speech

B．to say what you want in another's voice

C．to make a speech much more easily

D．to help you to find a better job

2．If the speech software were widely used, ________.

[　　]

A．people would no longer believe each other

B．it would not be necessary to go for a speech by a famous person

C．no radio or TV broadcasters would be needed

D．recording of a voice alone would not be taken as a proof in the court

3．According to the passage, you can infer that ________.

[　　]

A．the software will turn out to be an immediate success in the market.

B．the government will forbid the sale of the software in the market.

C．it's hard to decide whether the software will enjoy popularity.

D．the software will soon prove to be nothing but rubbish.

4．The passage mainly wants to ________.

[　　]

A．introduce a new software

B．explain the disadvantage of a new invention

C．advertise a new kind of product

D．describe the future market of a new product

阅读理解

　　Although they may not die from lack of love, adults also need a great amount of affection (友情) and companionship. In the past, many people spent their entire lives in the communities in which they were born and raised. Many more people continued to live with their parents, brothers and sisters after they were married and had children of their own. By remaining in familiar communities with relatives nearby, families had enough opportunities for friendly contact and for support in time of trouble.

　　Recent studies suggest that family arrangements in Western societies have not changed as much in the last few centuries as is generally believed. Yet most sociologists agree that in modem societies, there are fewer opportunities for friendship and support from relatives outside the immediate family. Parents and children often live apart from other relatives, and seldom visit them. Also, the family moves when a parent accepts a job in another place or when it decides to live in a better neighborhood. Together, loneliness and mobility (迁移) force immediate family members to depend heavily on one another for affection and companionship.

　　Because the family is one of the few ongoing sources of affection and companionship in modern societies, a high percentage of people continue to marry, even though it is possible for a single man and woman to live together without marrying. On the other hand, because affection and companionship have become so important, families are more likely to break up if the husband's or wife's emotional (情感的) needs are not met within the family circleeven if all other family functions (功能) are being satisfactorily performed, and in this sense, affection and companionship have become the touchstone of the modern family.

1．It is generally believed that ________.

[　　]

A．many people spend their lives in familiar communities

B．a person can easily get in touch with relatives in times of difficulty

C．the organization of the family has changed a great deal

D．western societies have not changed much in the past few years

2．Sociological studies show that ________.

[　　]

A．the more the family moves, the less support it gets from its distant relatives

B．parents and children live together to make up for the lack of relatives outside the family

C．family arrangements have changed and so there is little need for companion of relatives

D．family members are separated from each other because of lack of support from relatives

3．The word “touchstone” in the last paragraph may be replaced by ________.

[　　]

4．In the last paragraph, the writer mainly wants to say ________.

[　　]

A．affection and companionship are important for the family and they can be gained from nowhere but the family

B．affection and companionship can come from the family and at the same time safeguard the family

C．there are few ways to gain affection and companionship but the best way to get them is from the family

D．in modern societies a lot of families break up and it's just for a lack of affection and companionship

阅读理解

　　Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.

　　Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $ 10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to “speak” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees-anywhere at all!

　　Because of the many changes in computer technololgy, laptop used in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.

　　At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said,“Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we're giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything.”

1．The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ________.

[　　]

2．Why is the word“speak” in the second paragraph in quotation marks (引号)?

[　　]

A．They don't really talk.

B．They use the computer language.

C．Laptops have speakers.

D．None of the above reasons is correct.

3．Which of the following is true about Westlake College?

[　　]

A．All teachers use computers.

B．1500 students have laptops.

C．It is an old college in America.

D．Students there can do everything.

4．“A window on the world” in the last paragraph means that students can ________.

[　　]

A．attend lectures on information technology

B．travel around the world

C．get information from around the world

D．have free laptops

5．What can we infer from the passage?

[　　]

A．The program is successful.

B．The program is not workable.

C．The program is too expensive.

D．We don't know the result yet.

阅读理解

　　When we can see well, we do not think about our eyes often. It is only when we can not see perfectly that we come to see how important our eyes are.

　　People who are nearsighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Many people who do a lot of close work, such as writing and reading, become nearsighted. Then they have to wear glasses in order to see distant things clearly.

　　People who are farsighted face just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty reading a book unless they hold it at arm's length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses too.

　　Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people's eyes become cloudy because of cataracts. Long ago these people often became blind. Now, however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove them.

　　When night falls, colors become fainter to the eyes and finally disappear. After your eyes have grown used to the dark, you can see better if you use the side of your eyes rather than the centers. Sometimes, after dark, you see a small thing to one side of you, which seems to disappear if you turn your head in its direction. This is because when you turn your head, you are looking at the thing too directly. Men on guard duty sometimes think they see something moving to one side of them. When they turn to look straight at it, they can not see it any more, and they believe they were mistaken. However, this mistake happens because the center of the eye, which is very sensitive in daylight, is not as sensitive as the sides of the eye after dark.

1．We don't know that our eyes are of great importance until ________.

[　　]

A．we think about our eyes

B．we cannot see clearly

C．we wear glasses

D．we have to do much reading

2．According to the passage, a ________ is more likely to be nearsighted.

[　　]

3．People who are farsighted ________.

[　　]

A．cannot do a lot of close work without glasses

B．can only see things that are very close to their eyes

C．have difficulty reading a book if they hold it at arm's length

D．have the same problem as the nearsighted people

4．To see a small thing at night, it is better to look ________.

[　　]

A．with wide open eyes

B．with half shut or narrowed eyes

C．straight at it

D．in a slightly different direction

阅读理解

　　In cars of normal design, the petrol (汽油) system is made up of three parts: storage tanks (储油箱), a pump and a carburettor (汽化器).

　　The petrol tank is fitted at the back of the car where it is out of the way, yet easily filled at a gas station. Tanks are in various capacity (容量) but they usually hold enough petrol for 250～300 miles running. Because the tank is at the opposite end of the car from the carburettor, which is fitted high up on the engine, a pump is needed to draw the petrol from one to the other, as it is from the carburettor that the petrol in finally fed into the engine. Pumps can be of two kinds: electrically operated or mechanically driven from the engine.

1．Choose one picture which shows the correct petrol system described in this passage.

[　　]

A．

B．

C．

D．

2．The text tells the reason why ________.

[　　]

A．there are different types of tanks in capacity

B．the tank is designed at the back of the car

C．the pump in mechanically driven from the engine

D．the petrol is fed into the engine the carburettor

3．It is necessary to use a pump to send petrol to carburettor because ________.

[　　]

A．the engine needs supply with a certain amount of petrol

B．the pump can press the petrol to recycle

C．the carburettor has difficulty in drawing petrol from the tank

D．the tank isn't fitted in proper position

4．According to the text one tube (管道) of the ________ may be joined to the ________ directly.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Across the world, 1．1 billion people have no access to clean drinking water.

　　More than 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation. (卫生设备)

　　The combination proves deadly. Each year, diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation kill between 2 and 5 million people and cause an estimated 80 percent of all sicknesses in the developing world. Safe drinking water is a precondition for health and the fight against child death rate, inequality between men and women, and poverty.

　　Consider these facts:

　　·The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 kilometers.

　　·Only 58 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are drinking safe water and only 37 percent of children in South Asia have access to even a basic toilet.

　　·Each year in India alone, 73 million working days are lost to water-borne diseases.

　　Here are three ways you can help:

　　Current U. S. foreign aid for drinking water and sanitation budgets only one dollar per year per American citizen. Few members of Congress have ever received a letter from voters about clean drinking water abroad.

　　2)Sponsor a project with a faith-based organization

　　Many U. S. religious groups already sponsor water and sanitation projects, working with partner organizations abroad. Simply put a single project by a U. S. organization can make safe water a reality for thousands of people.

　　3)Support nonprofit water organizations

　　Numerous U. S. -based nonprofits work skillfully abroad in community-led projects related to drinking water and sanitation. Like the sample of non-profits noted as follows, some organizations are large, other small-scale, some operate worldwide, others are devoted to certain areas in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Support them generously.

1．The three facts presented in the passage are used to illustrate that ________.

[　　]

A．poverty can result in water-borne diseases

B．people have no access to clean drinking water

C．women's rights are denied in some developing countries

D．safe drinking water should be a primary concern

2．The intended readers of the passage are ________.

[　　]

A．Americans

B．overseas sponsors

C．Congressmen

D．U. S. -based water organizations

3．The main purpose of the passage is to call on people to ________.

[　　]

A．get rid of water-related diseases in developing countries

B．donate money to people short of water through religious groups

C．fight against the worldwide water shortage and sanitation problem

D．take joint action in support of some nonprofit water organizations

4．What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?

[　　]

A．A variety of companies and their worldwide operation.

B．A list of nonprofit water organizations to make contact with.

C．Some ways to get financial aids from U. S. Congress.

D．A few water resources exploited by some world－famous organizations.

阅读理解

　　Everyone's at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn't done an eBay deal. So, I decided to try my hand at online auction (网上拍卖).

　　Buying for beginners: Sign up on www. eBay. co. uk. Most items (e. g. tables, computers, and books) ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with “Buy It Now” and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.

　　If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids (出价) for you. The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.

　　How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a cheque of postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card (信用卡).

　　Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my friends' advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday. This way buyers had two weekends to bid.

　　The big things in life: It' s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by deliverymen. Cheek the ways of delivery before you bid.

1．What is the passage mainly about?

[　　]

A．How to make payment online.

B．Ways of making delivery online.

C．Advantages of an online-auction system.

D．How to use an online-auction system.

2．After bidding for an item, a buyer ________.

[　　]

A．will get what he wants in ten days

B．should make payment immediately

C．has chances to make higher bids

D．may check its picture and description

3．The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is ________.

[　　]

A．through an online payment system

B．through a local banking system

C．by sending the money to the seller

D．by paying the deliveryman directly

阅读理解

　　The phone is ringing at the other end of the line and it clicks as it is being answered. A voice says quickly, “Hello! Will you hold, please?” Then there is another click, followed by silence. It seems like hours before someone comes back on the line-that is, if you don't hang up first.

　　Office calls are, perhaps, the most difficult and the most important part of a secretary's work. The first impression that a client (当事人) recessives (有倒退倾向) about a business is very often through a telephone contact. A caller who is left hanging on “hold” will get the feeling that he or she has been forgotten or ignored. If a call is answered rudely, the caller may become angry. And if the call is not routed directly to the right person, the caller may feel that he or she is getting the “runaround”.

　　Laura Neelham is a secretary in the executive offices of a large manufacturing (生产,制造) company. As a good secretary, Laura knows that all phone calls must be answered promptly and handled efficiently. She knows that a secretary must be pleasant and helpful, no matter how busy she is or what kind of mood she may be in. She knows she must keep calm if a caller gets impatient or becomes angry; also, of course, she knows she can never allow herself to lose her temper. If she does not have the information the caller asks for, she must know who does have the information. Finally, she knows that one of her most important responsibilities is to “screen” telephone calls and to know which calls to refer to her boss, which calls to refer to other people, and which calls to handle herself.

　　A well-handled telephone call will give the caller a good impression of the company he or she is dealing with. For this reason, an office secretary who can handle telephone calls cheerfully, tactfully, and efficiently is a valuable asset to any organization.

1．What do you think about “to handle phone calls”?

[　　]

2．One can get his first impression about a business through ________.

[　　]

3．What does the word “runaround” in the article mean?

[　　]

4．The definition of the word “screen” in the third paragraph is probably ________.

[　　]

A．to give an answer

B．to show something on a piece of cloth

C．to protect from view with a screen

D．to separate things of one sort from things of another

5．This passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．well-handled telephone calls

B．the importance of how office calls are dealt with

C．an efficient office secretary called Laura Needham

D．a secretary being a valuable asset to her country

阅读理解

　　Americans are proud of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general. Why are uniforms so popular in the United States?

　　Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian (百姓的) clothes. People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse. a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity (身份) than to step out of uniform?

　　Uniforms also have many practical benefits. They save on other clothes, They save on laundry bills. They are tax-deductible (可减税的). They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

　　Primary among the arguments against uniform, is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms. the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they tend to think, speak, and act similarly. on the job at least.

　　Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain. requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

1．It is surprising that Americans who worship variety and individuality ________.

[　　]

A．still judge a man by his clothes

B．hold the uniform in such high regard

C．enjoy having a professional identity

D．will respect an elevator operator as much as a general in uniform

2．People are accustomed to think that a man in uniform ________.

[　　]

A．suggests quality work

B．discards his social identity

C．appears to be more practical.

D．looks superior to a person in civilian clothe,

3．The chief function of a uniform is to ________.

[　　]

A．provide practical benefits to the wearer

B．make the wearer catch the public eye

C．inspire the wearer's confidence in himself

D．provide the wearer with a professional identity

4．According to the passage, people wearing uniforms ________.

[　　]

A．are usually helpful

B．have little or no inividtilal freedom

C．tend to lose their individuality

D．enjoy greater popularity

5．The best title for this passage would be ________.

[　　]

A．Uniform and Soeiety

B．The Importance of Wearing a Uniform

C．Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform

D．Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms

阅读理解

　　Scientists say Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is caused by a new virus from the family of corona viruses (冠状病毒), which also causes the common cold.

　　WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

　　The World Health Organization says the main symptoms of SARS are high fever (over 38℃), dry cough, shortness breath or breathing difficulties. Changes in chest X-rays, which are indicative of pneumonia (肺炎), also occur. SARS may be associated with other symptoms, including chills, headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhea.

　　Health experts say the disease has an incubation period (潜伏期) of between two-to-seven days, with three-to-five days being more common, before victims start showing flu-like symptoms.

　　HOW DANGEROUS IS IT?

　　The mortality rate (死亡率) appears to be between 3 to 5 per cent. In Hong Kong, at least, those who infected invariably develop severe pneumonia, which can cause numerous complications. The victim's condition can deteriorate (恶化) very quickly in as little as five days.

　　WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?

　　There is currently no specific cure for the disease. But doctors worldwide have been treating it with ribavirinan anti-viral drugand steroids (类固醇). Doctors say if treated early mast patients without other serious illnesses can recover.

　　HOW DOES IT SPREAD?

　　WHO (世界卫生组织) and Hong Kong experts say the virus spreads through droplets by sneezing or coughing and such direct infection (传染) can usually happen within a radius of around three feet.

　　The virus can also spread indirectly as it can survive outside of the human body for three to six hours. Contact with any object that is tainted by droplets containing the virus, for example, a contaminated phone, could lead to infection if a person then touches their eyes, nose or mouth.

　　Health experts have not ruled out that it could be airborne (空气传播的), which infinitely raises the contagious nature of the virus and would make it far harder to contain (控制).

1．Which of the following is NOT considered as one of the symptoms of SARS?

[　　]

2．It is possible that a person will be infected with SARS if ________.

[　　]

A．they touches their nose after contacting with a contaminated phone.

B．they don't wash their hands twice a day.

C．they don't know the contagious nature of the virus like health experts.

D．they don't go to a doctor at once when they catch a cold.

3．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Even though there is currently no specific cure, the doctors can treat SARS with an anti-viral drug.

B．Before victims show flu-like symptoms, SARS has an incubation period of between two-to-seven days.

C．That SARS could be airborne has not been ruled out by health experts from WHO.

D．Doctors believe that every victim without other serious illnesses can be cured.

4．From the information given in the passage we can deduce that ________.

[　　]

A．SARS is a type of pneumonia which is caused by influenza.

B．When an infected person travels, he can not spread the virus to other passengers on his flight.

C．In order to control the spread of the disease, patients should be placed in an isolation unit.

D．Wearing a mask is not a good way of keeping off SARS.